USFS/USFWS redefine 'secure habitat' for grizzlies + Interior seeks flexibility on predator management
Key Questions
What change did USFS and USFWS make to grizzly secure habitat?
The agencies reduced the definition of secure habitat from 2,500 acres to just 1 acre to accommodate a logging project in Montana, potentially affecting connectivity between recovery zones.
Why is the Interior Department seeking flexibility on predator management?
The request aims to give states more control over grizzly and wolf management, aligning with ongoing delisting debates and rancher conflict concerns.
What are the potential impacts of redefining secure habitat?
The shift could threaten the primary corridor linking Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide grizzly populations and reshape broader conservation policy.
Has this issue been litigated before?
A similar lawsuit was won in 2025, indicating this is a recurring legal and policy battle over grizzly habitat protections.
How does the 1-acre definition affect logging projects?
It allows projects previously blocked by larger habitat requirements to proceed, raising concerns from conservationists about scientific validity and long-term bear recovery.
DEVELOPING. Agency rule change reduces secure habitat from 2,500 acres to 1 acre, threatening Yellowstone-Northern Continental Divide corridor. Legal challenge angle (Larabee Hat project). No new today.